High-frequency discharge apparatus.



H. W. PERKIN.`

HIGH FREQUENCY DISCHARGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 30, 1912.

Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

E Jvglinly er 'L 911 2 *5C TED STATES HOWARD WILLIAM PERRIN, OF `fal-IENDALE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 HIC- H FRE- QUENCY IGNITION COIL COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

HIGH-FREQUENCY DISCHARGE APPARATUS.

'Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

Application filed December 30, 1912. Serial No. 739,392.

To all whom, 'it may concern Be it known that I, HOWARD W. PERRIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glendale, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful High-Frequency Discharge Apparatus, of which the followingV is a speciication.

This invention relates to means for producing electric .discharges of high tension and high frequency, and it is especially intended for use in connection with i ition systems for internal combustion engines.

The main object of the invention is to provide for a discharge which will retain its high frequency, high tension character throughout the durationof the discharge.

Another object of the invention is to provide for production of a starting spark.

Other objectsof the invention will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying? drawings illustrate of the invention, and referring Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a modified form of circuit connections.

In Fig. 1, a represents a multiple cylinderinternal combustion engine provided with spark gap electrodes 33 in each cylinder and with a disruptive discharge coil 34 adjacent to each set of spark gap electrodes and connected to discharge across the same. The shaft b of the engine is connected by the usual gearing to a shaft'c which operates magneto l, a distributer 27 and a timer 10. The apparatus further comprises a battery 2, self induction coil 3, a switch 4 for changingl the connectionsfromthe magneto to the battery or vice versa, a starting key 9 and conden'sers 23 and 40 for receiving energy type, and the other of said sources being the battery 2 connected in circuit with self induction coil 3. Said magneto 1 is connected by wire 5 to a contact 6 of switch 4 and the circuit wire or branch 7 includingthebattry 2 and self induction coil 3 is connected to spring key 9, normally in contact with a backcontact 9 connected by wire 7 to a contact 8 for said switch so that 'by moving said switch 4 lto one or the other of the contacts 6 and S, magneto 1 or the battery 2 with the self induction coil 3 may be placed inrjcircuit. The timerl or circuit breaker 10 is operated by suitable means, for example, by the shaft c in the usual manner, so as to break circuit between a contact lever 11 and a fixed contact 1,2 at suitable times in the rotation of the engine shaft. For this purpose a' cam 13 operated by the shaft c operates on the lever 11 to lift it from thexed contact 12 at the time when a spark is requiredin any one of the cylinders of the engine. Fixed contact 12 is connected to wire 15 leading` to the switch 4 and the contact lever 11 is connected by wire 16 to-ground at 18, the battery 2 being grounded at 19 and the magneto 1 being grounded at 20. Wire 15 is connected .by wire 22 to one side of condenser 23. The other side of condenser 23 is connected by wire 24 to the rotating arm 25 of distributer 27, having fixed contacts 26 corresponding in number to the cylindersv of the engine. From each fixed contact 26, a wire 28 leads to the primary coil winding. 29 of a high frequency disruptive coil or resonator 34, the other end of said winding being connected by wire 30 to ground at 31. Wire 28 is also connected to one side of the secondary Winding 32 for said high frequency disruptive discharge coil, the other endA of sald secondary winding 32 being connected to one of the spark electrodes v33- for the spark gap in one! of the cylinders of the engine, the other spark electrode for said spark gap being grounded as indicated at 35. A front contact 37 for key 9 isl carried by a spring 38 connected by wire 39 to one side of co".- denser 40, the other side of which is connected by wire 41 to wire 24. A fixed contact 42 below Contact 37 is grounded at 44.

The operation is as follows: The distributer arm 25 is rotated by the engine shaft in such manner as to make connection to the disruptive discharge coil for any cylinder at the moment when a spark is desired in said cylinder, and the cam 13 is operated so as to produce a break at l2 at t-his moment. Assuming, for` example, that the switch 4 is turned to position shown in full lines, so as to place the battery and self induction coil in circuit, contact at 12 permits current to flow from said battery through self induction coil 3, wire switch 4, wire 15, contacts 12 and 11, and wire 16 to wire 15, this high potential being communicated by wire 22 to one side of the condenser, so that the circuit above traced constitutes a charging circuit for the condenser. At this time the other side of the condenser is in communication with ground at 31 through the distributer, and the primary winding 29 of the disruptive discharge coils, and the self induction coil being grounded at 19, a high difference of 'potentlal is applied to opposite sides of the condenser, so as to charge the same. Immediately that the maximum potential is reached and the maxi- `mum charge of the condenser is obtained,

the condenser begins to discharge through la discharging circuit, including the primary spark gap at 11, 12, said discharge circuit being traced as follows: from one side of the condenser, through wires 22 and 15, contact 12, 1 said primary spark gap, contact 11 and wire 16 to ground, and from the other side of the condenser through wire 24, distributer arm 25, Wire 28, primary .winding 29 for the disruptive discharge coil and wire 30 to ground at 31. This discharge circuit is independent of the charging source of current and its impedance is verysmall as it is. only that which is due to the primary spark gap at 11, 12, and the ohmic and inductive resistance of the primary winding 29, said winding 29 being of few turns. The current passing in this discharge circuit is, therefore, of high frequency and induces in the secondary winding 32, a high frequency high tension current, producing a high frequency discharge between the electrodes 33.

It will be noted that the condenser 23 is interposed in the connection between the source of current and the distributer, so that l at no time is the source of current in metallic or conductive connection with the electrodes 33, 34 ofthe secondary spark gap, therefore, the| discharge maintains, throughout its duration, the high tension, high frequency, quality since the energy of the discharge comes wholly from the condenser.

Incase it is desired to start the engine on the spark, the key 9 is depressed, first breaking Contact at 9 and then momentarily pressing contact at 37 against contact 42, so that current will flow from battery 2 through self induction coil 3, wire 8, key 9, contacts 37 and 42 to ground, the current passing from ground 19 back to battery 2. The current passing in this circuit energizes self induction coil 3 and on then releasing the` key 9, the contact is first broken between 37 and 42, so that a discharge circuit for the self induction coil is formed as follows:

from coil 3, through wire 8, key 9, contact spring 37, wire 39, to one side .of condenser 40, the other side of said condenser being connected to ground through the distributer and through primary windings of one of the disruptive discharge coils as above traced for condenser 23. The veXtra current produced in this circuit by denergization of the self induction coil 3 causes a sudden risel of potential on the condenser 40 and this condenser then discharges through a dis# charge circuit including a spark gap between spring contact 37 and contact 42, this spark gap in this case taking the place of the mechanically operated spark gap at 12, which controls the'regular operation of the machine. Thus by operation of the starting key 9, it is possible to generate high frequency impulses .in the primary windings 29 of the disruptive discharge coil which is at that time connected in circuit by the distributer 25, this operation being independent of the position of the timer 10 or of the position of the switch '4, as the ground connection and the primary spark gap brought into action by the starting key are independent of the ground connection and the spark gap brought into action by the timer.

In case operation by the magneto is desired, the switch 4 is moved to position shown in dotted lines and the operation then proceeds as above described under control of the timer 10, the magneto presenting sufiicient current generating capacity and Suthcient self induction to'charge the condenser 23 on disruption of the circuit at 4the primary spark gap at 12. v

If desired, the starting key may be omitted, the wire A7 being connected directly to contact 8 for switch 4, as shown in Fig. 3, the connections being otherwise the same as above described, and the operation being the ,same as above described for the automatic operation by the timer.

What I claim is: Y

1. A high frequency discharge apparatus comprising a charging circuit of high self induction, `including a source of current and circuit controlling means for making and iso "of. low tension current breaking the circuit to generate high potential impulses therein by extra current induced in said circuit on breaking the circuit, a disruptive'discharge coil, spark gap electrodes connected to the secondary winding of said coil, a discharge circuit-connected to .receive the high potential impulses from said charging circuit and including the primary 4winding of said disruptive dischargev coil, and a condenser included in 'said discharge circuit in series connection with said primary winding and between the connection of the charging circuit and the primary winding, permitting high tension high frequency oscillating discharge sa'id'circuit, but reventing passage om lsaid charging circuit to said disruptive discharge coil. l

2. A high frequency discharge apparatus comprising a charging .circuit including a magneto and a circuit breaker, said. circuit being grounded at one side of said magneto,

' a disruptive dischargecoil having'primary and secondary windings, spark gap electrodes, one of which is connected to the secondary winding of said coil and the other of which is grounded, a ground connection for the primary windingof said coil, and a condenser, connected at one Aside to the ungrounded side of the windings of the said coil and at the other side to the ungrounded side of the charging` circuit, s o that said condenser fis in series connection between the charging circuit and the said primary Wind- .ing to permit. high frequency high tension discharge to pass in a circuit including said circuit breaker, condenser and coil, but to prevent passage of low tension current from said charging circuit to said coil.

3. A high frequency discharge apparatus for ignition of an internal combustion engine, comprising a charging circuit including a source of current and a circuit controller for closing and openin said circuit, means adapted to be operated y the engine for periodically operating said. circuit controller, a key normallyclosing said chargingv circuit, a disruptive discharge coil and spark gap electrodes connected to receive high frequency, high tension dischar e of current from the secondary winding o said coil, a condenser having one side connectedY to said charging circuit and the other side being connected to the'primary of said disruptive discharge coil, a second condenser having one side connected to said disruptivel discharge coil, and contact means controlled by said key and connected to the other side of said secondcondenser to establish a closed circuit for said source' of current, independent of said periodically operated circuit controller when said key is opened, and to simultaneously connect the said other side of said second condenser with' HOWARD WILLIAM PERKIN.

In presence of- ARTHUR P. KNIGHT, MARY E. BLASDEL. 

